Comment

Public consultation needn’t be face-to-face

The Government is encouraging local authorities to keep planning processes moving and has passed legislation to allow decisions to be taken remotely or by appointed individuals.

Previous rules required local councillors to be physically present in order for local authority meetings to take place. Given current instructions to stay at home, the Government has moved quickly to overcome Schedule 12, paragraphs 5-6 of the Local Government Act 1972. This sends a clear message to local authorities that they must continue to perform their statutory functions. Section 78 of last week’s Coronavirus Bill is the solution. The new legislation will allow local authority meetings, including planning committee meetings, to be conducted remotely. Various local authorities across the country, from big city councils like Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol, to smaller rural districts like Lichfield or Newark and Sherwood, are now adapting to the new state of affairs. Whereas previously they had cancelled or postponed meetings, they are now planning to hold them online using virtual tools like Zoom Professional.

If we were all to down tools now, once we start to emerge from our homes and return to “normality”, a new wave of uncertainty could begin as we collectively endeavour to get the cogs of productivity turning once again, from a standing start. Westminster and local authorities are taking strides to allow planning processes to continue in the meantime. Therefore, we have a social and economic duty to keep our sector moving forward as much as possible, by continuing with our own pre-application and post-submission consultation exercises. Even though we are under physical lockdown, our projects don’t have to be.

The built environment sector has a clear role to play in protecting the economy from the sharp shock COVID-19 is inflicting. Our Strategic Communications team offers clients virtual community consultation options to facilitate meaningful stakeholder and community engagement in lieu or on top of public information events.

Our digital-led strategic communications activities provide a sustainable means of engagement, whilst also retaining more traditional remote forms of feedback to ensure accessibility for those demographics for whom online interaction is still not an option.

This flexible virtual offering allows clients to choose from a menu of online communications activities best-suited to the needs of the application in question. These can be scaled up or down through the pre-application, consultation and submission processes to ensure the most effective and appropriate engagement strategy is implemented.

Our Strategic Communications service offers clients (click hyperlinks for previous examples):

• Bespoke consultation websites

- with easy-to-use feedback channels (online surveys, responsive email, consultation hotline, live chat);

- hosting all project materials e.g. project information leaflets, video and animations, Computer Generated Images (CGIs) and plans, downloadable project boards; and

- utilising best-in-class multi-platform interfaces suitable for every size of screen.

• Online templates to swiftly create visually appealing and engaging social and digital content.
• Targeted and traceable social media ads and posts to generate engagement and feedback from specific demographics and communities.
• “Digital drop in” sessions with the project team via webchat and video conferencing – advertised on and offline.
• Screen-sharing software to facilitate live one-to-one or team-to-team meetings with key stakeholders.
• Offline promotion of digital consultation through targeted mail drops and local media (online and hard copy) ads – to ensure offline groups are informed.
• Remote “project materials” available to the public on request.
• Remote feedback via freepost returns and dedicated project consultation hotlines.

Well-delivered digital engagement can reduce project costs, accelerate timelines and increase project awareness and understanding.

If you require support with existing or future projects, or have any questions about the services we offer, please do not hesitate to get in touch with one of the Strategic Communications team.

1 April 2020